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March Ideas & Activities

March calendar with reading suggestions

Looking for literacy-focused activities? Here are a few fun and engaging ideas for the month of March.

AIM-VA Celebrates Black History Month

Image of three books related to black history: The Color Purple, Black Women in Science, and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave

Don’t forget to order and download reading books for your students from AIM-VA to support the celebration of Black History Month.

Making Functional and Educational Format Decisions

Screenshot of the AIM-VA Search for a Book screen with the Format dropdown open

Did you know that students with complex reading support needs and print disabilities can benefit from a variety of reading formats? When making decisions on which format to use consider that students will have varying needs.

AEM Café

Illustration of three cups of coffee held by different people's hands, from above

Are you looking for new or improved ways to integrate accessibility in your classroom or schools? The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) AEM Café may be the resource for you.

Creating Annotations to Support Reading

Drawing of a woman using a laptop

Creating annotations is important for readers who want to take notes while they are reading. Taking notes of important items to remember will make it easier to review the document for main ideas or important details. It’s also a way to note where there are questions that need to be answered. Creating annotations helps students become involved and engaged with the text. It may help students focus on the important content in the text.

Protecting Your Students When Reading: At Home

Image of a woman sitting on a sofa with her legs up and a laptop on her leg

When students are reading at home on a…

  • laptop, mobile device, large print, paper braille or refreshable braille displays
  • at home seated on a lounge chair, couch or bed

Students who read at home with various accessible options, most often do so in a very casual way; by sitting on a couch or lying in bed. What we need to consider when students read at home in this was is the position of their bodies and the impact it can have on how long they read, how productive their reading is, and how the position itself effects their bodies.

Protecting Your Students When Reading: Alternate Seating

Image of a boy sitting on a box

When students use…

  • any book or reading device
  • at a table or desk
  • yet require alternate seating!

Although sitting at a desk reading textbooks, reading books, large print or braille books while using a laptop, desk top computer or an iPad should follow posture guidelines, there are times when students are unable to do so in basic classroom chairs. At these times, alternatives need to be considered that can support the student in a sitting position that follows as close to the guidelines as possible.

Background Color

Laptop with the word reading displayed

In an earlier blog, increasing font size to help with readability on a screen was discussed. Similarly, this month we will talk about changing the background color to improve the readability of a document.

Protecting Your Students When Reading: Textbooks & Trade, Large Print or Braille Books

Photo of a few books open on a desk

When students use…

  • a book such as a textbook, trade, large print or braille book
  • on a table or desk
  • a typical chair

Sitting at a desk reading textbooks, reading books, large print or braille books should follow the same posture guidelines as sitting at a desk using a laptop, desk top computer or an iPad.

Reading Speed

Drawing of a woman using a laptop

This school year, we have discussed various common features that may make reading electronic documents more accessible.

This month let’s talk about changing the rate of reading speed in documents.